An invite-only crowd of about 200 got a sneak peek at the four-storey-high Christmas tree, in all its glam and glory, during a holiday party hosted Wednesday by the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) Foundation.

The tall and splendid-looking spruce, reaching more than 11 metres in height and some eight metres wide, was lit up just for the party, in advance of the official tree lighting ceremony taking place tonight with the public.

On hand to welcome the crowd in the national gallery's Scotiabank Great Hall was the NGC Foundation’s CEO, Karen Colby-Stothart, along with the gallery’s chief curator and deputy director, Paul Lang, who individually introduced all the curators.

Supporting the event from the business community were NGC Foundation board member John Mierins, owner of St. Laurent Volvo, along with accounting firm Welch LLP. Its managing partner is Micheal Burch. He's treasurer of the NGC Foundation board and chair of its audit committee.

Micheal Burch with his wife, Marianna, at the National Gallery of Canada Foundation's Holiday Party, held Wednesday, December 6, 2017. Photo by Caroline PhillipsJohn Mierins, president of the Carling Motors Automotive Group -- which includes the St. Laurent Volvo dealership -- with his wife, Keltie, at the National Gallery of Canada Foundation's Holiday Party, held Wednesday, December 6, 2017. Photo by Caroline Phillips

“From a business perspective, we were lucky to bring some of our best clients here tonight,” Burch told OBJ.social. “They have an opportunity to experience the gallery, have a little tour, and hear from the curators about why particular pieces of art are so important to us.”

Welch is holding its big 100-year anniversary party at the National Gallery next September. The founder’s son, Malcolm Welch, has been an avid art collector and the firm has gone to great lengths to fill its office walls at 123 Slater St. with Canadian artwork.

From left, Kristi Dean with her husband, Welch LLP partner Jim McConnery, and Mary Ann Tippett with her husband, Alan Tippett, also with Welch LLP, at the National Gallery of Canada Foundation's Holiday Party, held Wednesday, December 6, 2017. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Bruce Raganold, director of business development at Welch LLP, with ‎Steve Hulaj, founder and chief executive of ‎ItemtopiaPlus, with his wife, Denise Hulaj and her business partner, Jason Bellaire, of StyleHaus Interiors design firm, at the National Gallery of Canada Foundation's Holiday Party, held Wednesday, December 6, 2017. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Special guests included retiring Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin and her unfailingly affable husband, Frank McArdle, as well as Graham Flack, deputy minister of Canadian Heritage.

Also seen was prominent Ottawa couple Greg Kane, counsel at Dentons, and Adrian Burns. She's chair of the board of trustees for the National Arts Centre and is keeping busy with the NAC's search for the best candidate to fill the big shoes of retiring president and CEO Peter Herrndorf.

From left, Karen Colby-Stothart, CEO of the National Gallery of Canada Foundation, with Frank McArdle and Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, at the foundation's holiday party, held on Wednesday, December 6, 2017. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Greg Kane with Troy Anderson, a professor at the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University, Adrian Burns and Serge Belet, senior exhibitions manager at the National Gallery of Canada, at a holiday party hosted by the National Gallery of Canada Foundation on Wednesday, December 6, 2017. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Green Party leader Elizabeth May approved of the gallery’s choice of a real tree, rather than a fake one made with plastic and chemicals. “It’s a sustainable business,” the renowned environmentalist said of Christmas tree farms, adding that they're effective in improving air quality by sequestering carbon dioxide.

Tim Leah with Green Party leader Elizabeth May at the National Gallery of Canada Foundation's Holiday Party, held Wednesday, December 6, 2017. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Guests mingled over food and drinks, alongside the marvellous tree. Performing for the crowd was Toronto-based jazz icon Molly Johnson, a Juno Award-winning singer who lived in Ottawa as a child. She attended Hopewell Public School and Glebe Collegiate.

Molly Johnson performed at the holiday party hosted by the National Gallery of Canada Foundation, at the national gallery on Wednesday, December 6, 2017. Photo by Caroline Phillips

There was also time to slip away and explore the exhibitions and galleries. Some guests went to find the two new Gustav Klimt paintings, on loan from a private collection. Others headed to the nearby Biennial exhibit, where, on display, were contemporary Canadian and Indigenous artworks, including paintings, photography, sculptures, drawings, videos and large-scale mixed-media installations.

From left Bambury Pristanski with Karen Colby-Stothart and William Pristanski, principal at Prospectus Associates, at the holiday party hosted by the National Gallery of Canada Foundation, at the national gallery on Wednesday, December 6, 2017. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Laura Chapman with Graham Flack and Barbara Anderson at the holiday party hosted by the National Gallery of Canada Foundation, at the national gallery on Wednesday, December 6, 2017. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Micheal Burch with Karen Colby-Stothart and Paul Lang at the holiday party hosted by the National Gallery of Canada Foundation, at the national gallery on Wednesday, December 6, 2017. Photo by Caroline Phillips